A Long Way to Love
by Daelena
Summary: Benno von Drachheim didn't realize the effect that Countess Odile von Schwansee could have on him . . . until he fell in love with her. Based on Mercedes Lackey's "The Black Swan."


A Long Way to Love

_Disclaimer__: Nope, I do not own a thing here._

_This is a companion piece to "And She Knew It Was Love," a piece I wrote a while back. This also delves into the relationship between Benno and Odile, following the events of Mercedes Lackey's "The Black Swan." I hope that you all enjoy this a great deal!_

_Please, enjoy!_

There was a delicate crystal inkwell etched with flowers on her desk, filled with the practical black ink that she preferred. Benno smiled, his heart warming, at the sight of it there. Two other matching inkwells sat at its side, one filled with sepia ink and the other, a bright blue ink.

He had given the three inkwells to Odile as a Christmas gift, the year after Siegfried and Odette married. The sorceress had flushed and accepted the gift with warm thanks and a gentle kiss to the lips.

Benno had not cared what else happened that holiday season, for her response was all that mattered. By then, Odile had accepted a position on the King's Council and the title of Court Magician and, in passing during a late-night conversation with him and Wolfgang, how she disliked the bland inkwells that she had been using previously. Apparently, the late Queen had deemed it necessary to have anything more than such work-a-day items in her household, which remained in her tower and Odile had yet to replace upon taking over the aforementioned tower.

A few months before, Benno had finally worked up the nerve to court her properly and she had accepted his suit. Only her cautious acceptance of him and his fear that, should he push her too quickly, she might retreat from him had kept him from proposing marriage during that holiday season. Still, he had wanted to gift to her, his lady love, something that served a practical need, yet also was beautiful and fitting for the lady that she was.

In all of this, he would not admit, particularly to Siegfried, lest his friend, the King, tease him endlessly for it, but Benno knew that Odile was the only one for him and had realized that within only a few meetings.

Maybe it was that she had outwitted him with a simple spell and the ability to swim (a skill that he had been adamant to learn, despite her hesitations) during their first meeting or her wit and intelligence that she had shown during that second meeting. Maybe, it was even the face she wore at Siegfried's ill-faced birthday fête, when von Rothbart's ploy came to light. Oh, Benno would have killed the man, if he had had the chance, because Odile's anguish and sorrow had been as plain as day, when the compulsion and illusions spells came down. Regardless, by the time she had been lifted into the saddle behind him following von Rothbart's demise and the breaking of the swan maidens' curse, Benno knew that he was entirely entranced by Odile.

For the first months, both had danced around their mutual attraction.

With the betrothal of Odette and Siegfried, the repairs to the palace, and the spate of courtships of the swan maidens (and Odile standing as family to each), there had been no good time for him to offer his suit to her. Oh, he had been in her orbit of course. Wolfgang had seen it fit to bring Odile into their late-night scholarly conversations and, in the end, the tutor served as an adequate chaperon when Benno had cautiously laid himself bare before Odile. The older man continued to offer such services, even long after he was wed to the eager and pretty Ilse.

It had been sometime during the swimming lessons, with that hilariously awful chaperone, that Benno had thrown caution to the wind and straightforwardly asked Odile for her permission to court her. She might have been able to step around the issue demurely, if they were not both waist-deep in a lake and utterly soaked. Instead, he saw her steely resolve and grinned when she offered him a gentle, though shy yes.

It had taken all of his effort not to kiss her then and there. Well, his effort and the quite-scandalized chaperone on the shore of the lake.

Instead, he had lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a chaste kiss to her knuckle.

There was so much intrigue surrounding Odile, particularly during her first year or so in court. As a magician and an independent lady, she was quite the anomaly. Benno stayed at her side, a constant companion against the spurn and judgment of the court that might have broken a weaker person.

Gently, Benno aligned the three inkwells on her desk, straightening the haphazardness that she had left her notes and checking the ink levels. Odile, despite all of her fastidiousness to her studies, usually forgot to refill the ink. Years of having invisible servants do that for her had gotten her out of that habit. He didn't mind doing that for her because her work was important and his work as advisor to the King and a lord of the realm often required a significant amount of work as well. Since neither were particularly fond of servants mussing of their respective work spaces, Benno had since gotten into the habit of ensuring that they both had the supplies they needed to do their respective work.

In her day-to-day life, she needed more sturdy inkwells. However, Benno loved that she used these inkwells here, at her – their – retreat from palace life and the demands of the court.

The band on his finger glinted in the light.

He smiled truly.

Proposing to Odile had been the most nerve-wracking – and, quite surprising, the easiest – experience of his life. Benno knew that his parents were hesitant to accept Odile, but he did not care about that. She was the only woman he could ever love and the only one he would ever marry.

Odile was most beautiful when she was truly happy – and she had been utterly radiant upon realizing what he was asking of her.

Oh, Odette was easily the most beautiful woman in the realm, but Siegfried could have his golden-haired queen. Benno preferred the silver-haired woman who was utterly bewitching and beguiling.

There had been tears, but through those happy tears, Odile had agreed to marry him.

She was delicate in his arms, when he had swept her up and kissed her. Benno had not twirled her around. Such overly-romantic action was not fitting for either one. But he had laughed cheerily after kissing her and set his hat upon her head. Odile had laughed as well, reaching up to touch the hat, setting it to rights, despite how strange a man's hat looked upon her fair head.

Benno's family would have preferred some stately wedding befitting both his status and the status of his soon-to-be-wife. As a Countess and wealthy in her own right, Odile certainly could have had a lofty wedding.

But instead, both wanted a smaller, more intimate wedding that celebrated their love for each other – and, despite the protests of his parents and the suggestions of the flock and the king and queen, they prevailed in the end.

White did not suit Odile particularly well. In its place, for their wedding, she wore a faint blue dress that, at first glance, appeared white at first glance, though she had assented to wear an ivory veil. There were some whispers of her virtue, though neither Benno nor Odile cared for those whispers. Both Siegfried and Odette stood by Odile and none of the courtiers had the gall to stand against the King and Queen on that matter.

The moment he saw Odile at their wedding, Benno did not care about the gossip and court drama.

She was his and he was hers.

No one walked Odile down the aisle. She did not need anyone to, despite Siegfried offering repeatedly to do so. The sorceress had turned the King down repeatedly, though she was gentle as she did so.

When Odile drew level to him, Benno smiled at her. Her eyes were bright as she returned that smile through her veil. Benno took her hand in his, squeezing her fingers lightly. Both were nervous and that little contact eased them so much.

Benno could not recall certain specifics of the wedding ceremony, save for their vows to one another, when they exchanged rings, and that precious moment when he lifted her veil, casting it back over her shoulders. In that moment, as his hands ghosted over the veil and her bound hair, he had inhaled deeply, relishing the touch. Odile had smiled happily at him, tilting her face up to him, even as his hands cupped her cheeks. The careful moment, when he leaned down to capture her lips with his, Benno seared into his memory, for that was the first moment when he could kiss his wife in public without inciting drama or gossip within the court.

When they had retreated from their wedding party, an extravagance that Odile would have happily looked over, Benno had given her a cheeky look and suggested, "We can leave without them even noticing."

She had grinned back. "Really now? And what would the proper ladies of the court say?"  
He had laughed. "We are married, my love, and I don't particularly care what they will say about us."

At that, Odile had kissed him – and agreed.

They reached her estate on Swan Lake some time before the dawn. Sneaking away from one's own wedding banquet to start the honeymoon early was not done – usually. But neither Odile nor Benno particularly cared for following traditional approaches.

Upon dismissing their servants, Benno had gently guided Odile towards the bed, determined to making this experience as pleasurable for her as possible. In terms of sexual experiences, women had it worse than men when they were initiated into this world. He wanted to show her that there was more pleasure than pain, even if she had to endure this pain for a brief period of time.

Odile would learn all of the wiles a woman could use to entice a man, but that was for later, when she had the benefit of convening with Odette, Jeanette, and the rest of the flock. This was now. Benno was going to make good use of her ignorance in this particular area to shower her with all of the affection and pleasure that a man could give to a woman. And he wanted to give them to her. After everything that she had been through, Odile deserved so much.

Eventually, when both were sated, they dozed off to sleep in one another's arms, even as the sun began to peak over the horizon. Yet Benno could not sleep.

Carefully, he slipped from the bed, tucking the blankets around Odile. He pulled a robe around him, knotting it at his waist. Benno ran a hand through his hair, trying to shake the knots from his curse, which he cursed and Odile seemed to love.

Her desk was broad and made of a light wood. Opposite of it was another desk, made of darker wood, from which he would work. The materials that would find their way to both desks could be handled at a later time.

Moving across the bedroom, he opened the doors to the balcony and walked out to enjoy the early spring morning and the wide Swan Lake the spread out beneath them.

Did he mind that his wife was more landed and more powerful than he was? Surprisingly, no, he did not care. In fact, Benno would have been perfectly happy if both were relatively poor and could only afford a handful of rooms.

He leaned on the balcony railing, taking in the morning. Yes, with Odile, he was happy and they could do so much good.

Benno watched the lake and the morning, happily lost in his thoughts, until a warm breeze tufted past him. That was strange, considering how chilly this spring morning was. There was only one person who could have done that.

He turned and saw his silver-haired wife crossing towards him, a blanket clutched around him and her eyes alight with passion. Benno smiled at her with all the love in his heart.

"Miss me already?" he asked cheekily.

And Odile joined him out on the balcony. "You're letting the cool air in."

_And that, as they say is that._

_It, at the end, matches up to the my other "The Black Swan" piece. It is fluff and I hope you enjoy it a great deal. Please review and let me know what you think of this. _


End file.
